Resolve
by Biscuit15
Summary: While on a mission to take down a child trafficking ring, Squalo comes across a tiny Tsuna. For reasons he doesn't entirely understand (though he suspects it's because he's not as heartless as everyone makes him out to be), he finds himself taking the kid home and doing whatever he can to heal the damage inflicted on Tsuna.
1. Chapter 1

Squalo didn't usually have reason to feel as if his assigned missions were personal, but this one was the exception; a mission assigned to him by his shitty boss who probably knew exactly what he was doing to the silver-haired male by sending him off alone to single-handedly destroy a child trafficking ring. Squalo's past had been torturous before he had been accepted into the Varia where he had turned everything around, so to be confronted once more by memories and emotions he had thought he had long left behind…

Even the slice of his blade through the ringleader's body wasn't enough to stop the subtle shaking that gave the enemy the impression he was nothing but a scrawny teenager who had simply wandered into the wrong building and didn't know how to escape undetected.

Yes, Squalo had personal reasons for being here, and not even his beloved sword was bringing him any enjoyment or excitement today; there was nothing except a dull ache in his chest that he could feel even through the numbness he was sure wasn't entirely emotional. Seeing the bodies of dead children thrown carelessly into an empty room, dead from being too weak, too emotional, too… _child-like_ and _afraid_ …

It wasn't just that. There had been surviving children earlier on he had set loose. Perhaps it wasn't just his own experiences coming back to haunt him. He wasn't the only Officer within the Varia who had come from something like this, either, but they had hidden that fact that from all but the six Varia Guardians in the hopes it would keep the thin string of sanity they _all_ had left.

With a shake of the head, Squalo growled to himself as he tried his hardest to think about something else; not himself, not his comrades, not even the _mission_ , because he knew that if he couldn't change his train of thought soon, he might just turn his own weapon against himself without anyone there to stop him this time.

It just so happened that Squalo's mind went blank by means he probably _should_ have expected but never did.

Crying wasn't something Squalo was unaccustomed to. He had heard it too many times in his life, and there were even the nights where his dreams were filled with nothing but the sound. In his line of work, he had seen and heard many, _many_ forms of crying, and it was with a heavy heart he could identify that whoever was crying was afraid.

The Rain Guardian moved to the door up ahead on his right. He was cautious, only too aware that this could be a trap, so when he was finally stepping inside what looked to be something akin to an isolation room, he lowered his weapon as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the strong darkness that came with having only a tiny window up high, covered in grime and blocking out almost all of the sun's rays.

It was a child, just like Squalo had suspected. A boy with fluffy brown hair and a face red from crying. He couldn't have been any older than six, but from the size of him, maybe he was even younger. The clothes he was wearing were so filthy, it was hard to tell what colour they were originally, and even with the darkness surrounding them, Squalo's sharp eyes could still make out the bruises on the child's body.

Squalo growled, more to himself than anyone else; he remembered only too vividly bruises just like those that used to cover every inch of his and his teammate's bodies, and the harsh crying the child was doing only made him think of all the reasons in his life he had to cry about but had never been able to bring himself to allow doing so.

"Voi… Kid…" As hard as Squalo had _tried_ to allow his demeanour to soften, he still couldn't keep the gruffness from his voice. He growled again when the kid only cried harder and tried to scurry away from the teen; couldn't the other see he was only trying to help? "Voi… I'm not gonna hurt ya…"

The silver-haired male clicked on quickly, however; with the child having moved further into what little light could penetrate the room, Squalo allowed his tongue to slip into a language he hadn't had reason to use in a while now. In fluent Japanese, he asked, "What's your name?"

The child didn't answer, but while each second felt like an eternity, it became clear that he was slowly calming down. Squalo waited, having been certain long ago he had already slaughtered every adult involved with the ring. And then, when the crying stopped completely, the teen said nothing as he simply walked over to the boy and picked him up. He didn't know what had come over him; he had seen many children like this before, ones that he had spared out of pity as they mourned over the bodies of the parents he or his comrades had just murdered. He wasn't a monster like the rest on the Vongola made him and the other Varia guardians out to be, but he wasn't exactly the most caring of people out there, either.

With a shrug, Squalo took a step back so he could turn around and leave the room with the boy in his arms. Now wasn't the time to think about what he was doing; he would just have to call for his driver and once he and the kid were back at Headquarters, he would work out just what the fuck he was going to have to do.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Squalo had done upon arriving back at Headquarters was take the kid upstairs to his bedroom so they could be away from the chaos that usually was the Varia. He had carried the child throughout the journey to his bedroom, so as soon as he had passed the threshold and was closing his door behind them, he placed the brunet onto his own two feet. The younger didn't go anywhere like he had expected; instead the boy just stood there and stared at Squalo with eyes that looked ready to tear up any second now.

"Voi…" Squalo had never been very good with kids, but that could be because throughout his life, he had always been very isolated until his prowess had caught the attention of the Vongola. It hadn't been until their Storm Guardian had joined the ranks had he socialised with a child, and the Officer in question was proving much too difficult for Squalo to be able to tolerate properly. He scratched his neck nervously as the thought of this child being anything like the brat that was his Storm Guardian crossed his mind; oh, please, anything but that… "…What was your name again? I forgot."

Squalo hadn't forgotten; it was simply that the younger had not uttered a single word and the teen didn't know how else to act in this situation.

"…" The brunet looked away. He shuffled his feet in clear anxiety before he whispered, "…T… Tsuna…yoshi…"

"Tsuna, hey?" Squalo's eyes darted around the room as he pondered how to next proceed; did he introduce himself now? Or did he show the younger around his bedroom? "I'm Squalo. This is my room. Uhh… You shouldn't go anywhere by yourself, though; this isn't a good place for kids…"

"…" The boy – Tsuna, Squalo had to remind himself – just stared. It was almost as if he were too scared to say anything back, so Squalo continued on.

"You can sit on the bed, ya know? I'm not gonna bite." Squalo wrung his hands together as the familiar sensation of stress started ebbing throughout his being; he had never liked people in his room at the best of times, and now this whole thing was starting to eat away at him. "There's books… Or you can watch TV… I don't have much else you can do though… I've gotta get my paperwork done for boss, so… Voi… Just, uh, find something to do, yeah?"

Tsuna nodded, but he didn't do any of the things the other had suggested; instead, he wandered past the king-size bed pressed up against the wall to his left and stopped in front of the curtains draped across the massive wall window. He glanced over his shoulder to see where Squalo was before he reached out and opened them to let the light flow into the room. When the silver-haired male said nothing about it, he turned back to look out of the window and into a world he knew about but had never experienced.

It was the most beautiful thing Tsuna had ever seen. The green pastures filled with life seemed to spread forever until they hit the edge of woodland, but that was okay because he was high enough up to see over the tops of those trees and make out a lake hidden behind them that sparkled a perfect blue. There were massive gardens all over the walls of the building he was in, and if he moved his head to the perfect position, he could see the long, winding driveway and the fountain in the middle just before what must have been the front door.

It was such a stunning view, and Tsuna could hear his own breath catch in his throat at the sight.

But the boy couldn't stand there forever, he knew; he had to get to work or else he'd be in line for another beating. He had learnt that quickly, that if he stood around and did nothing he wouldn't be able to move for days after, and he didn't want to test the limits of his new owner's patience.

Squalo himself ignored the sounds of the boy moving around the room as he tried to focus on his paperwork, but upon hearing the sounds of his pillows hitting the ground seconds before his sheets met the same fate, he couldn't help but turn around and look. "What are you doing?"

Tsuna was tense, Squalo could see that much. The brunet took several seconds to reply, but when he did, it was in a voice laced with fear and confusion. "Making the bed…"

"…"

"…"

"…Okay…?" Squalo cocked his head to the side; why the fuck was a _six year old_ – no, scratch that thought; if Tsuna was lucky, he could have been used for forced labour or slavery rather than as a sex object, which would explain this… "But why?"

"Isn't that what I'm supposed to do…?"

When Tsuna looked at his feet, Squalo frowned. He put his pen down on the desk, and in the softest tone he could muster, he said, "Come here…"

The hesitation to obey was noticeable only because Squalo knew what to look for. The teen said nothing until the brunet was standing before him. He reached out and took hold of a hand that felt _far_ too tiny in his own gloved ones. He tried so hard to sound comforting, but he had to doubt himself; he just didn't have it in him to be seen as comforting. "You are not here to be a slave, Tsuna… You're here because… I don't know… But not to be a slave… No more of that; you're a kid, and you should be acting like one."

"…"

"How old are you, Tsuna?"

"…Five…"

Squalo closed his eyes; so damn young… He sighed softly. "There's another kid here… And we rescued him from the same sort of place you were in… We don't let him do anything he was raised to do because we don't _want_ him doing any of that… So you can't do what you were taught to do, either; you're not a fuckin' slave. I'll put the TV on for ya; you can watch cartoons or some shit…"

Tsuna shook his head. "I want to clean…"

As much as the teen wanted to say no, should he? Tsuna clearly didn't know anything different, and if it would keep the brunet quiet until he could work out what to do with the child…

"Fine… But just my room. Don't leave my room unless I'm with you."

"Okay…" With that established, Tsuna returned to making the bed in silence.

As hard as Squalo tried to focus on his report, it wasn't easy; he couldn't stop thinking about the kid and what he was supposed to do with the younger. He knew he could easily hand Tsuna over to the main Vongola Family and let them handle it, but part of him didn't like that idea; the more he thought about it, the more he was starting to think that he just wanted to keep the kid here with him.

Squalo groaned as he dropped his face into his hands; what was with him and being a bleeding heart for kids he could relate to…?

 _ **~~XX~~**_

When dinner came around, Squalo finally emerged with Tsuna's hand in his. He was hesitant to take the brunet downstairs because he wasn't in the mood for having to explain everything to everyone, but he knew that if he were to lock himself away in his room any longer, he was going to have to deal with the migraine of his fellow officers breaking his door down and sticking their noses where it didn't belong.

In perfect Japanese, Squalo muttered, "Every fucker here is nosey, so leave it to me… The faggot trash is okay, but stay away from the others – especially the other kid; dunno how he's gonna react but probably not happily…"

Tsuna nodded. He couldn't help but squeeze Squalo's hand as they finally stepped off their winding staircase and onto the ground floor. It felt like it was taking forever to walk through the building to the dining room, but he didn't complain; it was less time for him to have to deal with others…

When they eventually stepped into the dining room, Tsuna was taken aback by how large it was; he had never seen a table as big as the one in the middle of the room, with enough seats around it for at least ten people. The dining room itself was also huge, with countless windows letting the dark of night into the room as the chandelier above them battled it away. There were a few potted plants and assorted decorations, but other than that, there wasn't much that caught Tsuna's attention.

When the door banged closed behind them and all eyes turned to see who it was, the room became so silent, one could hear the drop of a pin against the marble floor.

The man with the green part of hair was the first to speak, in a tone that seemed as confused as Tsuna felt on a daily basis. "Who is your little friend, Squa-chan?"

Squalo shrugged. He tried so hard to keep up his rough exterior, but now that there were so many eyes watching him, he felt as if he were being judged. "Picked him up on my mission. The fuck is it to any of you bastards?"

"We aren't babysitters. Get rid of him." It was the man with red eyes who spoke this time, and even though Tsuna couldn't understand Italian, he still shuddered at the feeling of danger that resonated from the other.

"Fuck off! I like him better than the prince brat already!" Squalo ignored the upset squeal that came from their youngest member; he was too focused on the way the red-eyed male had just slammed his hands onto the dining table and was now standing to yell.

"You want a fucking kid getting in the way of what we're about to do?! You'll get us all killed, trash!"

Squalo couldn't help but yell back, but before he could even finish his sentence, he stopped when he heard Tsuna starting to cry. He sighed before he forced himself to bite back his temper and instead move to the dining table to grab the plate of roast chicken none of the others had even touched yet. He ignored the group yelling at him as he left with it; he wasn't going to eat with those judgemental fuckers, so they could all go without their beloved chicken for the night.

"The good news, brat…" Squalo broke off a piece of chicken to pass down to Tsuna, "…is that they like you already. I think. Maybe. At least Luss will like you because he likes kids anyway."

Tsuna accepted the piece of chicken he was handed and nibbled at it. After minutes of silence, he finally mumbled, "I want to stay with you…"

Squalo's lips twisted into a grimace at those words; he had never had someone tell him something like that before, and he didn't know how he was supposed to feel about it. "Really, brat…?"

Tsuna nodded. He hugged himself before he whispered, "Squalo… is nice…"

Nice wasn't a word Squalo would use to describe himself, and he was certain no one else would, either – if anything, most people who knew him would call him an asshole. But this kid… This kid was so pure, and he wasn't sure if he could let Tsuna go anymore, not now when he was finally starting to feel as if his fucked up life was worth something if he could be someone Tsuna sought protection from.

"Not many people say that about me, brat." Squalo shook his head. "A lot of people don't like me… I'm kind of like you, sorta… Luss has been the only friend I've ever had… Xanxus… We aren't really friends… And the others? …I've been alone a long time, too…"

Tsuna wiped at his eyes. His voice quivered as he said, "I miss my mummy…"

"I'm sure you do, brat. How did you ever wind up in that place?"

"I don't…" Tears started rolling down the boy's cheeks now. "…I… They said they had candy… I want to go home…"

"Where is home, Tsuna?"

"With my mummy…"

"Does your mother live in Japan? Do you know where you are right now?" Squalo knelt down so he could put his hands on the child's shoulders.

Tsuna shook his head. "Aren't we still in Japan…? Did we leave…?"

Squalo sighed. So he had a kid on his hands that didn't even know he had left the country… "…We're in Italy, Tsuna. I can't help you get back to your mother. I'm sorry."

When Tsuna's heavy crying filled the air at these words, all the silver-haired male could do was reach out and pick the younger up. He used to be so stoic with these kinds of things, but for some reason, Tsuna was breaking through everything he had worked so hard to establish in order to protect himself.

If Squalo was going to keep Tsuna, he was going to have to learn how to be an emotional support, but he doubted he was capable of doing so; he had never had anyone there for _him_ in his life, so how was he supposed to be able to give what he had never received?

Maybe Tsuna would be better off in an orphanage or something, anything but having Squalo look after him, because the Rain Guardian was sure he was only going to fuck up again and again and _again_.


	3. Chapter 3

"You're going to get sick standing out there all the time. Don't ya know the cold is bad for you?" Squalo watched with careful eyes as Tsuna leant against the railing to his bedroom balcony. It had been three days now, and he had finally argued with Xanxus enough over the matter to have the older male give up and let him do what he pleased with the brunet.

Tsuna turned to look over his shoulder. He smiled softly, something he only ever did for Squalo. "I like standing out here, Squalo. I like it when the sun is rising. Everything looks so nice…"

Now that Tsuna had mentioned it, what was the brat doing up so early, anyway? Squalo had been awake all night, occupied by the duties that came with being second within the Varia; had he woken the kid up or something because of his busy lifestyle? "Why are you awake?"

"Luss-nee woke me up looking for you when you were in the shower." Tsuna turned to look back out over the balcony. "Squalo, look! It's so pretty!"

Squalo hummed in agreement as he came to stand beside Tsuna and look at the sunset. "What did Lussuria want?"

"He said he needed your help with Belphegor because he's sick today."

The silver-haired male's eyes narrowed; sick, his ass… More like the little shit was having a breakdown. "I'll go check on him soon. Stay away from him today, yeah?"

"He scares me…" Tsuna's smile dropped, and his eyes reflected the same fear his voice did. He lifted his sleeve to reveal the bandage around his arm that was specked with blood. "He cut me last night… When you were out… Luss-nee had to pull him away… I only… touched his arm…"

"Voi… Why didn't you tell me?" Squalo shook his head; he had already learnt that questions like this only made Tsuna nervous, so he tried to change the subject. "Forget it; you shouldn't go near him; he's too unstable to be touched. He thinks you're going to hurt him because he doesn't know you yet."

Tsuna shook his head. As young as he was, and for what he had been rescued from, Squalo still had to be amazed at how kind and caring the brunet was. "I don't want to hurt him, Squalo; I want to be friends with him, but he doesn't like me…"

"He's been hurt, just like you have, and in much, _much_ worse ways, so he doesn't want any friends just yet. He only wants to be left alone, so give him that much, alright? He's much more afraid of people than you are."

"That makes me really sad…" Tsuna slumped over the railings in defeat. "Why did someone want to hurt him? Didn't he do all of the work he was given? …That's when they'd hit me… If I didn't do something…"

"Tsuna… When you get older, you're going to learn that the world is a very dark place, and there are some people out there who do more to little kids than just hitting them. Bel and I… We both learnt that when we were your age… Even younger…"

"Did you get hurt, too, Squalo?" It was hard for Tsuna to imagine this; he had seen the way Squalo was with his sword, having watched as the teen sparred with the others – it was almost impossible to _think_ that there were people out there who could do harm to someone like the Rain Guardian.

"Yeah… Brat, don't say shit to anyone! I don't… want anyone knowing about that… It's in the past, and that's where I want it to stay."

Tsuna sighed. "…I wish… I could be strong like Squalo…"

"Don't say things like that!" Squalo couldn't stop himself from snapping these words. "I'm not fuckin' strong like that! I'm _not_! Just because I was the leader of Varia at one point doesn't make me as strong as you think I am! I'm not strong, but I'm also not weak enough to cry about my life! I don't want to sit there feeling sorry for myself because I couldn't stop any of those assholes from raping me! Don't ever wish you could be _anything_ like me, Tsuna! I'm not… the kind of person that you think I am… And I wouldn't wish it upon _anyone_ to be even the slightest bit like me… Because I… I fuckin' _hate_ myself, Tsuna…"

Squalo raised his gloved hand to his face as he tried to stop the headache that was quickly overwhelming him. He knew it had been brought on by the sudden stress he felt, but he couldn't do anything about that right now; he was too busy trying to stop the flood of tears that often tried to escape but had never fallen. He sniffed and closed his eyes, trying so hard to distract himself, but reprieve came in the most unexpected manner; tiny arms wrapped around his leg as a warm body pressed itself against him. As uncomfortable and nervous of touch as he was, Squalo couldn't help but stand still and look down to see Tsuna hugging him, with nothing but childlike innocence about him.

For the first time in his life, tears rolled down his cheeks as the dam burst and Squalo couldn't stop himself from shedding what he had so desperately needed for so many years.

"It's okay to cry," Tsuna mumbled. He never loosened his embrace; in fact, he tightened it when he felt Squalo starting to tremble. "My mum… She always said it was okay when I cried…"

Squalo's long, gloved fingers threaded through Tsuna's hair. He couldn't bring himself to stop crying; it was almost impossible.

"It's okay… It's okay…"

For the first time, Squalo experienced what he could only imagine was comfort, and all he could think was that he wouldn't mind if he could feel so secure again.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

Tsuna had never seen a floating baby before, so when Squalo had told him to stay with said baby while he attended to Belphegor, the boy couldn't help but stare curiously as the other counted thick wads of cash.

"Mammon…?" Tsuna's voice held a more childish tone to it now that he was speaking to Mammon; he felt shy, not exactly uncomfortable around the Arcobaleno but still unaccustomed to his new living arrangements. "Why do you have so much money…?"

Mammon replied back quietly. Like Tsuna, she acted differently around different people. "Squalo paid me to babysit you."

"How much?" Tsuna fell forwards from his sitting position so he was leaning on his hands and knees. He crawled closer to Mammon, but before he could reach out and touch the money, a tentacle rose from the floor and grabbed his hand. He screamed at the action, and his first instinct was to get away from what could potentially hurt him.

Mammon sighed heavily as she dispelled her illusion. She hesitated, but after deciding she would just have to charge Squalo extra, she conjured up a different illusion, one where she was in her adult form. It was what she used daily with Belphegor, especially when she needed to get the blond into bed but he couldn't sleep from nightmares. It might not work for Tsuna, but she knew the results for Bel, and it was worth a try if that was what it took to keep the brunet away from her money.

"Shh…" The illusion reached out and grabbed Tsuna so she could hold him close against her chest. She rocked him, and almost instantly the boy fell quiet as he nestled in close against the illusionary warmth. "It's okay."

Tsuna, who hadn't felt the love of a mother since his abduction, suddenly felt so incredibly light, his eyelids fluttered shut and he was asleep. Mammon didn't dispel the illusion; she let it go on until Squalo came back an hour later with blood that wasn't his own on his uniform jacket and a deep gash on his cheek that was undoubtedly from the wire the Storm Guardian was starting to practise with. She said nothing as Squalo took Tsuna into his arms, and with that, they were gone.

Mammon never thought much about her fellow Officers; she was distant and kept to herself with only Bel who bothered her. When it came to Squalo, she agreed that the other was loud and rough around the edges, but she had always had a feeling that the silver-haired teen wasn't what he pretended to be; Squalo wasn't aggressive and antisocial; just from observing the Rain Guardian, she had long ago come to the conclusion that he was in fact just lost, mentally and emotionally, and had had enough of being walked over.

What she didn't know was that she had been right all along.


	4. Chapter 4

"Xanxus…?" Tsuna couldn't help but shudder as angry red eyes turned to him. He had let himself into the raven-haired man's office to ask a question, but now he was starting to think it may have been a bad idea; it looked as if he had interrupted something between Xanxus and the man he remembered as Levi.

"Have you ever heard of knocking, trash?" Xanxus was angry, that much was clear. He threw the manila folder he had been holding towards the brunet, scattering the sheets of paper within at Tsuna's feet. "We're busy. Fuck off."

"I just… wanted to know where Squalo is…" Tsuna wrapped his arms around himself; why had he woken up that morning with the silver-haired male nowhere in sight? Had he been abandoned…?

Levi, as careless as he always was, sneered at the child's obvious discomfort. "He got sick of you and ran away."

Tsuna's eyes teared up. He was sure he could feel his heart breaking into two at these words, but before he could even question the statement, Xanxus had thrown a glass at his subordinate.

"Don't tell the fucker that shit because then we have to deal with his crying!" Xanxus was angry, but Tsuna didn't know why; was the other mad because someone had made him upset? "You can be the one to deal with him!"

"I don't want him, Boss!"

The Sky Guardian growled before he turned his attention back to Tsuna. In a gruff tone, he growled, "The fuck are you crying for? That shark trash will be back tomorrow."

When Tsuna's crying didn't cease, Levi made an agitated sound. He took a step towards the kid with every intention of shutting the younger up, but when he felt his boss' gun being pointed at his back, he halted; he knew the other would shoot him without hesitation.

"Trash." Xanxus' eyes never left Tsuna's form. He waited until the child was looking back at him before he raised his hand and made a come-hither motion with his index finger. The boy obeyed, much to his pleasure; it was always irritating having his subordinates disobey a direct order, after all. "Why are you crying over that shitty shark? You can't tell me you like him."

Tsuna rubbed at his eyes. He sniffed before he gave a small nod and mumbled, "I like Squalo… Very much…"

When he heard his Lightning Guardian snort at the reply, Xanxus glared at the taller male. "Get the fuck out and do your job, scum."

"Yes, Boss!"

It wasn't until Levi had scurried away did Xanxus speak again. "Why would you like someone like _him?_ "

"He's… He's the only one… who's ever been nice to me…"

"You clearly know nothing about him if that's what you think he is. Trash, do you even know what he _does_ for a living? Where he is right now?"

"…No…" Come to think of it, Squalo had never really said _anything_ about himself…

"He is _not_ a saint, as much as you probably think he is. He didn't drag you and the prince trash here out of good will; he only did it because he knew he could use the both of you."

"Use me…?" Tsuna suddenly felt sick; was he going to be a slave here after all…? He had been so sure Squalo had promised he wasn't going to be…

Xanxus nodded. He knew wasn't telling the truth, but something about the situation pissed him off; why did it bother him to know that _someone_ liked Squalo? Why was he willing to destroy that when he would gain nothing from it? He didn't know what it was, but he _hated_ the idea of his Rain Guardian being happy. "Now fuck off; I'm hungry."

Tsuna didn't need to be told twice; he ran from the room as fast he could with every intention of going back to Squalo's bedroom so he could hide. After what he had just been told…

The boy didn't get very far, though, because as soon as he had rounded the corner, he hit something hard enough to knock him off his feet. He let out a whimper as he cracked his eyelid open and found that he ran into Belphegor and knocked the blond to the ground as well; oh, god, was the other going to hurt him again…?

"Stupid peasant!" The older boy's shout was loud enough to fill the wide corridor they were in. "I hate you!"

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" The tears flowed harder from Tsuna's eyes as he watched the Storm Guardian get back to his feet and approach. He flinched when a hand that wasn't much bigger than his own grabbed his hair and pulled; he was going to get _so_ hurt here, and Squalo wasn't around to save him…

"I _hate_ you!" Bel was like a feral animal, screaming the same thing repeatedly as if Tsuna wasn't going to get the point the first hundred times. "I'm gonna _kill_ you!"

Tsuna's scream was almost enough to shake the corridor. He begged for mercy as he felt fists hit him over and over again, boots kicking him whenever they could find room between, but when he caught sight of the single blade that had just been pulled from Bel's pocket, he was sure his scream had deafened everyone within a twenty-five mile radius.

"Stop moving and let me kill you!" Bel was snarling viciously as he fought against the hands that had grabbed his wrist and prevented him from thrusting his knife forward. "You can't come into _my_ home and take them away from me!"

Just when Tsuna thought he was about to die, the knife that had been hurtling towards him stopped. He looked past Bel and found Xanxus was standing behind the blond, with his hand wrapped so tightly around Bel's wrist, the brunet could see the other's wrist was breaking.

"The fuck do you think you're doing, scum?" Xanxus held no remorse for his subordinate as he kicked the other with so much force, Bel became airborne and hit the wall with a thud so hard, he lay on the ground unconscious. The Boss glared down at Tsuna now, but he made no move to help the youngest to his feet; he just said, "If you're going to survive here, you need to stop being such a pussy and learn how to fight. Get the shark trash to teach you because I ain't cleaning you up from the floor."

Tsuna swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Xanxus leave; he knew just how close he had come to being killed, but still… Despite the attack on him, the boy still found himself approaching Bel's body warily. His hand trembled violently as he reached out to make sure the older male was still alive, and to his relief, he felt the shallow rise and fall of Bel's chest with each breath he took.

"Why don't you like me…?" Tsuna rubbed at his eyes as he tried to calm himself down from his earlier fright. "What did… I do to make you hate me so much…?"

As young as he was, Tsuna had a feeling he knew what the problem was; from what Squalo had told him, the blond was probably just jealous that Tsuna hadn't been as badly hurt as Bel had been. With that possibility in mind, the brunet couldn't help but sigh; he hadn't asked for any of this and he was certain Bel hadn't either, but if he could, he wanted to make sure no one would hurt either of them ever again. Squalo hadn't liked it one bit, but the child wasn't deterred from his determination to be as strong as his new guardian was; maybe Squalo couldn't see it, but the silver-haired teen was the strongest person Tsuna knew, and he would give anything to be like the other.


	5. Chapter 5

When Squalo returned back to Headquarters the next day, he had company. A scowl was plastered on his face as an elderly man followed behind, seeking out Xanxus. Squalo begrudgingly led the man to his boss' office, but it wasn't without incident; they came across Tsuna and Mammon in the hallway, and immediately the man's disapproving voice filled the air.

"Whose child is this, Squalo?" The Vongola Ninth, Timoteo, leant down so he could put his hand on top of Tsuna's head. His eyes were as kind as ever, and his smile was genuine, but there was concern deep in his voice, knowing that the Varia having a child around would only end badly; it had been hard enough for him to allow Belphegor to join the ranks, but this child…

This child was nothing like the Storm Guardian who had proven himself to be capable, and Timoteo knew the brunet would only get hurt.

"None of your business! Fuck off!" Squalo reached out and snatched Tsuna's wrist so he could tug the younger to his side.

Timoteo was no fool; that child right there could not belong to _any_ of the Varia Officers, so what was he doing here? He wasn't deterred by the way Squalo had pulled the child behind him; he gently reached out and pushed the Rain Guardian to the side so he could brush away a brunet fringe and press the tips of his fingers against the child's forehead. He hummed softly, almost relieved that Squalo hadn't noticed what he had; he needed to talk to his own son about this, away from the nosey Guardians that made up the Varia.

"You should not have children around here, Squalo. You know that. Nothing good could come of it." With that said, Timoteo walked away, not needing the other's assistance when the Varia Headquarters was simply an empty part of the Main Vongola Building – to have such a powerful group operating on their own private grounds…

No, such a squad should never be left unchecked.

Timoteo couldn't shake the bad feeling in his stomach, not even when he entered Xanxus' office and found the teen slouched behind his desk with a bottle of wine in hand. He offered a smile to his bastard son, but as expected, all he got in return was a filthy glare. He sighed.

"That child… Whose is he, Xanxus?" Timoteo took a seat on the other side of the room, knowing Xanxus liked his own space.

Xanxus shrugged. "The shark trash picked him up on a mission."

"That boy is in no position to raise a child. Xanxus, you _know_ having a child around –"

"- I already told the trash to get rid of him. Squalo is nothing but a headache I don't want to deal with. If you have that much of a problem with it, I suggest you handle it yourself."

"To have a child in a place such as this… You will only corrupt an innocent being. He is a child, and he should be raised as one; not by a dysfunctional being such as that boy."

Xanxus bit back a laugh. "Corrupt? How are we going to do that, pray tell? If it's because of that prince trash, he was already fucked in the head when Lussuria and Squalo dragged him in from the streets half dead. That wasn't _our_ doing."

Timoteo's frown deepened. "The child wields Sky Flames. He should be put under Reborn's wing. The Varia is no place for him."

"The Arcobaleno is too busy with the Cavallone heir. He _stays._ "

"He has much potential. He will never grow to his full –"

"- Didn't you understand me the first time, old man? _We_ will be keeping him. If he has Sky Flames, I'll force him to harness Cloud instead and I'll use him as my Guardian."

"He is a _child,_ Xanxus…"

The addressed male was sick of the conversation, and he didn't care who or what this man was; nothing was going to stop him from pulling one of his pistols from its sheathe and pointing it at Timoteo. "I would leave if I were you, old man. This is _my_ squad; _I_ took it from Squalo and it's _mine_ to do what I please with it."

"…" Timoteo closed his eyes in surrender. He turned around to leave, but as he walked, he spoke quietly. "I think I preferred having that boy in charge around here, Xanxus… At least he could be reasoned with…"

Xanxus didn't reply; he waited until the other had closed door behind him before he replaced his pistol in its sheathe and grabbed the bottle of wine that had been abandoned on the table. That old man was going to get what was coming to him, and the determined day just couldn't come quickly enough.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

"Xanxus said you only want to use me…"

Squalo turned around at Tsuna's sad voice. He accepted the plate of food the cook had just handed to him, but he passed it back so he could instead turn around and put his hands on Tsuna's shoulders. "That isn't true. Xanxus is just an asshole. Don't listen to anything he tells you; he's so miserable in his own life, he wants to bring everyone else down with him."

Tsuna's frown deepened. Maybe Squalo was right… He didn't really know Xanxus all that well, and the few times he had encountered the teen hadn't been very pleasant…

No, of _course_ Squalo was right! The silver-haired male would have done something to him by now if that was what he wanted… Tsuna sighed in relief. "I trust you, Squalo."

"Good. Don't trust Xanxus, though; he's an ass." With that said, the older male grabbed his lunch again so he could leave. The secret was out now; Timoteo was going to spread it around the Vongola that there was another kid with the Varia, so there was no point hiding Tsuna anymore; he was just going to have to learn to deal with the judgemental glares sent his way and pretend they didn't bother him so much.

"I thought you said we aren't allowed to go past our living room?" Tsuna cocked his head to the side, wondering why they had ventured so far into the mansion today when previously he had only been given free reign to wander through the bedrooms and living room.

"Eh… Who cares? Those other fuckers are gonna know 'bout you now. See how none of them bother us in our area? It's because they're all scared of us. They think we're loose canons and they don't trust us. So we keep to ourselves and the servants bring us everything but otherwise we don't get bothered."

Tsuna nodded. He accepted the bottle of water he was being passed with a polite thank you, but other than that, neither of them spoke until they had returned to the Varia's designated living quarters and ran into Xanxus halfway up the stairs.

"Voi! The fuck do you want?! Move!" Squalo, though he had learned to be quiet – quiet for _him,_ that was – was yelling again. His boss wouldn't let them pass, and he wasn't in the mood for this shit.

"Shut up, shitty shark! You've got a goddamn job!" Xanxus yelled back, and no one within the immediate vicinity was stupid enough to eavesdrop for their own safety.

"I just came back from one, asshole! Let me rest!"

"Go train that thing for my Cloud division, and so help me if he's shit." The deadly drop in tone was what proved to Squalo right now that if he disobeyed, it would be his life on the line, too. But he didn't think much about that; he instead looked between Tsuna and Xanxus with a puzzled expression on his face.

"How the fuck do _you_ know he has Cloud Flames? I'm pretty sure I'd know this, too!"

"Go do your fucking job!" With that said, Xanxus had left.

Squalo sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose before he looked down at Tsuna. He forced himself to use a softer tone as he muttered, "Voi… What say we eat lunch outside today? I'll train you after we eat."

"Train me in what?" Tsuna was so innocent, something Squalo had lost when he had been too fucking young to even remember _what_ innocence _was_ , and it was with a heavy heart the teen mumbled a reply.

"…To make you strong, like me…"

The glee in Tsuna's eyes didn't go unnoticed, but Squalo felt as if his heart was breaking; he liked Tsuna just the way he was, and the _thought_ that all he was going to accomplish was making the kid bitter and angry like the rest of the Varia was so physically painful, he felt as if he was going to vomit. But orders were orders, and it was better he trained Tsuna than the others; Lussuria would be okay as well, but the rest of them would accidentally kill him.

"I want to be strong like Squalo so I can protect him, too!"

All of a sudden, the self-loathing hit him like a ton of bricks and vomit splattered over the staircase.


	6. Chapter 6

Tsuna wasn't sure what time it was when he awoke to Squalo's bedroom door opening. He lifted his head up and peeked over the mountain of blankets to see who it was. He expected it to be Squalo, as the teen had left to attend to his subordinates when Tsuna had gotten into bed. But, to his surprise – and fear, which could be seen only too clearly by the way he had started to shake – he found Belphegor standing in the doorway, illuminated by the lights that were still on the hallway.

"Bel?"

Tsuna jumped as Squalo's voice came from his right. He hadn't realised the other was still in the room, so he looked over and found the silver-haired male had paused in polishing his sword. He said nothing; he just watched as the Rain Guardian stood up and moved to Bel's side.

"Bel, where have you been hiding?" It wasn't a stupid question; for the two days Squalo had been back at the Mansion, no one had seen hide nor hair of their youngest member. It wasn't unusual for the Storm Guardian to go missing for a while as he tended to find 'safe spaces' no one else knew about, but still… It worried Squalo every time Belphegor couldn't be found.

"…" Bel said nothing. He didn't move, either; he just continued to stand where he was as if he were a statue.

"Bel?" It was then Squalo knew what was wrong; with the way Bel was hunching over… "Did you hurt yourself again, Bel?"

Tsuna remained silent as he watched the way Squalo tended to Bel in the doorway like a concerned parent. He listened to what they whispered to each other, but it was when the Rain Guardian shouted angrily did he jump.

"Why the fuck are your ribs broken?! Who the fuck did this?!"

Tsuna flinched. It was clear Squalo was upset that someone had hurt Bel, and he only wished to help however he could. In a tiny voice, he stuttered, "X-xanxus… k-k-kicked him, Squalo… I-into the wall…"

Squalo continued yelling as he grabbed Bel's hips and carried him over to the bed. He dropped the boy onto the mattress beside Tsuna before he paced back and forth, not knowing what to do; he was no medical professional, and without the proper equipment, how the _fuck_ was he supposed to fix the two ribs that had torn through the skin and were now visible for all to see?

With a sigh, Squalo forced himself to stop yelling as he muttered, "Brat, go back to your room and sleep; I'll have the nurse in your room first thing in the morning."

The terror was unmistakable as Bel whimpered. "N-no! I don't want to go back there!"

Squalo raised his eyebrow; the blond didn't usually act like a scared child, so… "Why not?"

"Because…!" Bel raised his hand so he could wipe at his damp eyes. His mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to find the right way to explain things. "…M-my room… is right next to Boss'… B-boss… I hear them…"

"Oh…" Squalo felt his heart sink now; no _wonder_ Bel was upset enough to seek him out like this… Squalo's room was the farthest away from Xanxus', and the silver-haired male was the only other apart from Mammon the boy trusted. After having survived as a child prostitute for so many years, it was understandable the Storm Guardian was upset to be able to hear Xanxus and his hired woman for the night.

Tsuna didn't understand what was going on, and he made that clear. "What's wrong with Bel?"

"Nothing!" Bel couldn't stop himself from shouting, and what was even harder was stopping the tears that were now streaming down his face. "G-go away!"

Squalo frowned. He reached out and took Bel's hand in his own two before he muttered, "You can sleep in my bed for the night, but you need to give me every knife you have with you; I don't want you hurtin' Tsuna."

Bel shook his head. "They're all in my room, Squa; I promise… I-I… just wanted to get away…"

The teen understood more than he wanted to admit, so he nodded. He reached out to pat a blond head affectionately before he lifted the blankets to tuck the two children in so he could get back to polishing his sword.

Bel didn't stop crying, and though it didn't bother Tsuna, the brunet still couldn't sleep. He rolled over onto his side so he could look at the blond. "Hey, Belphegor…? Are you okay?"

Bel shook his head. His tears came harder as he tried to stop himself from snapping at the smaller male; he just wanted to be left alone.

"Do you miss your mum? I miss mine." Tsuna was so innocent in that moment, so young and naïve to the true cruelty of the world, and he wasn't prepared for the irate hiss he got in response.

"I _hate_ my mother! She and my father…" Even with the pain of his rib cage being broken, Bel still couldn't contain his anger. "…They… They _sold_ me to those fucks… After they got bored of me… _They_ left me to die… And no one understands… why I keep trying to kill myself…"

Tsuna knew he was supposed to be scared of Bel in this moment, but he couldn't bring himself to be; Bel was in pain, and that was something he could relate to. He reached out and put his hand on the older male's arm, and he wasn't deterred in the least when the blond tried to shrug him off with an angry growl. "Someone hurt you… People have hurt me, too… I get it… But please don't kill yourself… I would be very sad if you died. Squalo would be, too. He's told me how much he worries about you."

"He wouldn't care! Neither would you! You would both be _happy_ to get away from me!"

"Don't say such bullshit!" Squalo dropped his sword to the ground so he could get to his feet and tower over the two boys on the bed. "If I didn't care, you wouldn't be in my room, much less in my fuckin' _bed!_ Do you know how long I spent looking for you yesterday?! Four fuckin' hours! Just to make sure you hadn't offed yourself in a tree somewhere or somethin'!"

Bel fell silent as he processed those words, but he didn't have much time to think about things because as soon as he felt stick-thin arms wrap around him, he fell into a panic. He screamed in horror as memories of being held down by groups of men and women alike filled his mind, and suddenly, the pain of his ribs poking out of his body vanished as terror consumed him.

But despite the uncertain amount of time that was passing, Bel eventually calmed down as a large wave of Rain Flames brought him back under. He sobbed softly to himself as he pulled the blankets over his head to hide from the other two, but despite his best efforts at conveying he wanted to be left alone, Tsuna still followed him under the blankets.

"Sometimes I feel sad like you do." Tsuna's tiny fingers brushed through golden locks of hair. Bel didn't pull away this time; he didn't have the energy to do so anymore. "I used to cry lots and lots. But I don't really cry much anymore; I don't feel as sad as I used to now. I've been talking to Squalo about what upsets me. Maybe… if you don't want to tell Squalo, you can talk to me about the things that hurt you."

"…" Bel was a genius, and he could see through acts as well as see true honesty when it was presented to him. Tsuna was the latter, and no matter how much it was hurting him to move around with his injury, he stifled yet another moan of pain so he could instead slide across the mattress and bury his head under Tsuna's chin. Tufts of golden hair peeked out from under the blankets, but neither Tsuna nor Squalo moved them down; if that was how Bel could feel safe, they would leave it.

"Wow, brat." Squalo couldn't stop a crooked grin from crossing his face now; it was always so hard to soothe Bel when he was having a breakdown, and never had he been calmed so quickly. "Forget Cloud; you could be our next Rain Guardian if anything ever happened to me."

Tsuna smiled back. His fingers never stopped threading through the blond's hair. "I didn't like seeing him so upset."

Squalo chuckled. "Neither do I, brat… Neither do I… Go back to sleep. It's late. I'm sleepin' on my couch tonight."

Tsuna nodded. He listened as Squalo's feet crossed the room to reach the large couch pressed against the wall. He tried to make himself comfortable, but every time he moved in the slightest, Bel's shaking hands would reach out and his nails would dig into his flesh in an almost painful manner as the boy desperately tried to stop him from leaving. It didn't take much to reassure the Storm that it was okay; with Squalo still resonating Rain Flames throughout the room just for Bel's sake, the blond eventually slipped into a restless sleep disturbed by nightmares and physical pain.

Tsuna wasn't far behind; he was exhausted after training all day with Squalo and Lussuria, and it didn't take much to fall asleep again, especially not now when he was feeling so warm at having someone in his arms he felt as if he could finally protect the way Squalo was protecting him. All he wanted was to be someone others could trust in, and it felt as if his dream was finally coming true.

But only time would tell, and sometimes the passing seconds felt like an eternity.


	7. Chapter 7

Tsuna wasn't used to Squalo looking so stressed. The older male was pacing back and forth in their bedroom, and the boy wasn't sure what to say; the teen was agitated, and he was worried saying anything would only further upset the other.

It was Squalo who broke the silence. "Brat, you are to stay in here and not leave the room for _anythin'._ You got that? Mammon will be here to stay with you, but no matter what, don't put one _toe_ out of the room."

Tsuna frowned. He knew something was happening; everyone within the Varia had been acting so weird today… "What's happening, Squalo? I'm scared…"

Squalo sighed. "Brat… Brat, it's going to be okay. I promise. We just… We have something we have to do, and I don't want you getting caught up in it. You need to stay with Mammon so she can look after you for me."

A single tear rolled down Tsuna's cheek. He jumped up from the bed he had been sleeping on so he could wrap his tiny arms around the teen's leg. "A-are you going to c-come back, Squalo…?"

"…Yes, brat. I promise." Squalo knew there was a huge chance he might not come back – _alive,_ that was… But how was he supposed to tell Tsuna that the Varia were on what was probably a suicide mission? "Now stay here; I have to assist Xanxus. Mammon won't be long."

Before Tsuna could question further, Squalo had left the room. The brunet curled up beneath the blankets, unable to stop the worry from consuming him; something wasn't right, and he had a feeling that Squalo had lied about coming back.

By the time Mammon arrived, the first explosion had rocked the Mansion to its very core. Mammon wasted no time in casting an illusion to hide the sounds of gunfire and exploding grenades from the younger; even she, as an experienced assassin, was bothered by the sounds of death she had heard so many times before in her line of work. She knew how likely it was that she was hearing her own teammates being slaughtered by the ones they sought to wipe out; even the Varia, no matter how strong they were, might not be able to withstand the many, _many_ members of the very Family they worked for.

Mammon didn't know how she was supposed to soothe Tsuna right now; she was on edge, and having a crying boy in her care who probably knew the same things she did was only making her feel worse. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to the other, but she was still as upset as Tsuna.

The bedroom door was knocked from its hinges, and Mammon was glad she hadn't let her illusion falter in the least; she knew seeing a group of Vongola subordinates aiming their guns all around the room would only cause terror for Tsuna, and his panicked reaction may have been enough for the subordinates to see through the illusion and start firing.

"There's no one in there! Check the next bedroom!"

Mammon let out a sigh of relief when they left. It felt as if the sounds of war were never going to stop, but eventually, after what felt like years but in reality had only been six hours, everything stopped. There was no gunfire, no shaking of the earth as explosions rocked the very foundation into disrepair. There was no yelling or screaming. There was… nothing.

"Tsuna."

Tsuna, who had long-since stopped crying and had instead resorted to hiding under the blankets as he waited for Squalo, peeked out at the Arcobaleno. "Yeah…?"

"Follow me. Stay close."

The brunet did as he was told. He had no idea he was still trapped in an illusion, one to protect him from seeing the carnage that would undoubtedly be left behind from the massacre. To Tsuna, nothing had happened within these walls in the last twenty-four hours, and Mammon wasn't going to allow for his childish innocence to be tainted by her lifestyle.

The bloodbath was worse than she had expected. Half of the building was ready to come crumbling down any minute now, and she hadn't even realised the Vongola had so many subordinates until she was stepping over countless dead bodies that filled one end of the hallway to the other. The walls were painted with blood and other things she didn't want to think about, and the floor was slippery. There were parts of the building that had already collapsed in on itself, leaving Mammon to take Tsuna the long way around just so no suspicions would be raised.

It was when she finally found her comrades – or some of them, anyway – did she let the illusion break; Tsuna was going to see the group of subordinates holding the Varia officers at gunpoint anyway…

"Where's Squalo?!" Tsuna ran from Mammon's side so he could approach Lussuria and Levi. He took no notice of the guns that were now pointing at him; all he could think about was why Squalo was missing.

Lussuria, who wasn't a quiet person by any means, couldn't help but mumble to Tsuna. "We don't know…"

"What's going on?" Tsuna didn't resist when Lussuria picked him up; he buried his face against the other's throat and wrapped his tiny arms around the man's neck.

"Don't tell him," Mammon hissed. She floated over to the others, knowing that even though she hadn't done anything, the Vongola was still going to treat her as a traitor, too.

Lussuria nodded, knowing what was at stake. He looked back to the subordinates surrounding them and bravely asked, "Where are the other three?"

"Vongola Ninth is dealing with Xanxus and Squalo. Your Storm Guardian is dead, from what we understand. Bringing a kid into this… What a waste of life." While the Vongola subordinate who had spoken looked truly sympathetic, his partner next to him just scoffed.

"He was psychotic anyway. I always hated him; never could sleep knowing he was on the other side of the mansion."

None of the Varia said anything; what were they supposed to say? Yell and scream that their youngest member had been killed? That wasn't Varia Quality, and it would only make matters worse for them.

But as for Xanxus and Squalo… If the place was so quiet, had they succeeded…? Or had they ended up like Belphegor…?

"The Vongola Ninth –"

"- Is right here."

Lussuria, who had been the one interrupted, looked around at the voice behind him. He found Timoteo being escorted by his own Guardians down the corridor. The man was covered in blood, but it didn't look as if it were all his own; in fact, most of it looked as if it had been splatter from someone else.

"I've told you lot time and time again nothing good comes from getting _children_ involved in this line of business." In Timoteo's arms, he carried something wrapped in a thick blanket. He stopped just before the Varia members so he could pull the blanket back and reveal the Varia Storm, saturated in blood. "He's still alive, but just barely. Ambulances will be here shortly. Your attack failed; Ottavio **(1)** had already informed me of Xanxus' coup d'état. I have dealt with Xanxus myself, and as for Squalo, he will be one of the first ones to arrive at the hospital with the extent of his injuries. The rest of you… will be dealt with appropriately."

Levi and Lussuria looked at each other while Mammon remained silent. It was the Sun Guardian who broke the silence. "What are you doing with Bel…?"

"Taking him from your hands. You lot have no business having children around. I'll be sure to send for someone to take the other boy as well; I would hate for him to have to suffer the same fate this poor child has…"

Lussuria tightened his grip on Tsuna, but he said nothing; after what had just happened, he knew starting an argument would only have them all killed. He sighed; he liked both boys so much, and he would hate for them to be taken away.

"Have the Varia Officers moved to their rooms and keep them under watch. The Varia is suspended until further notice."

Tsuna didn't know what was going on, but still… Something horrible had happened, and no one seemed interested in explaining things to him.

 **1 – In the Hidden Bullet series, a character called Ottavio exists who tipped off Timoteo about the Cradle Affair. I've based this loosely upon that.**


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey, Varia!"

Tsuna lifted his head from Squalo's pillow as he heard someone shout from the hallway outside their bedrooms. He sighed, knowing no one was going to bother him; it was Lussuria and Levi that kept getting treated so terribly.

"Your boss isn't coming back! He's frozen! That loudmouth swordsman just got out of hospital, though; the Ninth has him in his office, and he's going to get shreds ripped off him! I don't think he's going to come back from there alive!"

Tsuna could hear muttering not far from the bedroom door before the same person laughed and started yelling again.

"Oh, and the Ninth has someone lined up to take that shitty Storm brat from Vongola, too! I heard he's being kicked out for good! Aren't you gonna –"

"- Just shut up!"

Tsuna jumped at the deafening bellow that came from Levi's room. He had never heard the other shout like that, but the Vongola subordinates got what they were after; it seemed all they wanted these days was reactions from the last two Varia officers.

A few people laughed from outside before footsteps came closer to Squalo's bedroom and the bedroom door was opened. Tsuna couldn't help but pull the blankets up to his chin as he whimpered; were they here to hurt him, too…?

"Hey, the Ninth asked us to bring you to him so he can give you to a nice family who'll look after you." There were three men in the doorway, and that only scared Tsuna more; why couldn't it be Squalo…?

"Come on; Ninth has food waiting for you so you can eat before you leave."

In silence, the child got to his feet and approached the others. "I-I want… to go to Squalo…"

"Kid, I really think the Ninth is going to put a bullet in his brain. After what he and Xanxus did, I'm pretty sure Ninth isn't letting him leave that office alive."

Tsuna bit his lip. He knew he had to do something, so he did the first thing he could think of; hoping by chance he would be able to outrun the others, he waited until they were passing the bathroom located between two of the unoccupied studies before he darted backwards and locked himself inside. He could hear the men banging on the door as they sought entry, so he had to act fast; with as much haste as he could muster, he climbed up onto the toilet and opened the window above so he could climb out onto the tree branch that never failed to scare him whenever it would scrape against the window at night.

It was frightening being so high up from the ground, but Tsuna had to be brave; if he couldn't conquer his fear, he might never see Squalo again. He forced himself to descend the tree until eventually, he was finally putting two feet on the ground. He ran back into the mansion and searched every room he passed to try and find Squalo, but instead, he came across Belphegor, the blond tied down to a bed with countless medicine bottles and syringes scattered around.

"Belphegor!" Tsuna ran forward, knowing the blond could help him – or at least, he _would_ have been able to, but the older boy was so sluggish and barely responsive, and the brunet wasn't sure what to do. He took a deep breath and did what his gut was telling him; he untied the blond's wrists and ankles from the bedframes and grabbed the closest medicine bottle so he could see what it was.

 _Tranquilisers_ was something Tsuna was already familiar with, and he felt a pang of empathy run through his entire being; had Belphegor been hurt in the same ways he had seen other children be hurt…? He sincerely hoped not…

"Belphegor, please; I really need your help!" The brunet looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was about to find them together; he could only imagine what would happen then. "Please… Please help me…"

When Bel spoke, it was in a voice weak from utter exhaustion. "What…"

It was then the smaller male finally noticed the bandage wrapped tightly around his friend's head and over one eye. He felt tears well up in his eyes; what had happened…? Why would no one tell him what was going on…? "Please… They want to kill Squalo…"

"…" Bel rolled onto his side so his back was to Tsuna.

"Please!" Tsuna's tears came harder. He reached out and shook Bel's shoulder desperately; why was the other turning his back on Squalo when the silver-haired teen cared so much for him…? "Please, Bel! I don't want to be alone again! Please!"

The Varia Storm closed his eyes. He remembered all too clearly a time where he had begged in almost the same manner as Tsuna was doing right now, pleading with whatever higher being was out there to finally give him reprieve from the monsters who cared only for his body. He sighed. Despite the aches in his body, he slowly sat up. "Where's Squa…?"

"I… W-with… Ninth, they said…" Tsuna frowned as he watched his friend stand on shaky legs; should the other really be moving in his condition? "Bel…?"

"I'm tired…" It was true; Bel felt like a wreck, and it was taking everything he had to not fall to the ground. He recoiled when he felt tiny hands grabbing him to try and steady him. "D-don't touch me…!"

Tsuna nodded. He trembled as he waited for the blond to recover, and by the time they were both leaving the room, he couldn't have been more impatient; he was sure that with each second they wasted, the worse it was going to be for Squalo.

It was silent between the two as they navigated the winding corridors. If it weren't for Bel already knowing where to go, Tsuna was sure he would have only kept walking in circles. They stopped a few times along the way for the Storm Guardian when his legs gave out from under him and it took every bit of willpower he had left to get back up, but eventually, they found themselves outside the office Tsuna _knew_ Squalo was in.

Bel, who knew something wasn't right with the lack of guards stationed outside the Vongola Ninth's office, grabbed Tsuna's arm. "Hey, don't go in there ye – Oi!"

Tsuna disregarded his friend's words and grabbed the doorhandle. He shoved the door open as hard as he could and ran in, every fibre of his being intent on saving the one who had rescued _him,_ but all it had accomplished was having an entire army of guns pointed at him and Bel. He gulped heavily; what did he do now…?

"Tsunayoshi?" Timoteo's eyes softened at the two boys standing in the doorway. He raised his hand and in silence, his subordinates sheathed their guns once more. "Belphegor? Why are you two here?"

The brunet's stomach twisted in anxiety, but he forced himself to speak out with as much confidence as he could; he had to be brave, and show everyone that he wasn't always scared of everything. "I-I… I won't let you kill Squalo! I'm here to rescue him!"

Timoteo cocked his head to the side. His frown grew. "Kill him? Why would I kill Squalo?"

"I…" Tsuna clenched his hands tight as he forced himself to keep up his courageous façade. "They… When those men came to get me before, they said you were going to shoot Squalo… But I won't let you!"

"Tsunayoshi…" Timoteo put his hands together on the desk. He leant in closer so he could say, "Tsunayoshi, Squalo isn't even here. This young man here has been caring for him."

Tsuna's eyes slowly peeled away from the old man so he could instead look at who Timoteo had been talking about. It was a blond teenager, probably around the same age as Squalo, with messy hair and eyes that looked far too kind for this situation. He fumbled with his hands and looked down. "…B-but… Weren't you… They said… E-even Bel… You were gonna… gonna give Bel away, too…"

"I'll be sure to talk to my men and ensure they don't spread around such lies any longer, Tsuna. No; Squalo is going to be fine; he's been with the Chiavarone Family to recover from his wounds, and young Dino here was going to take Belphegor as well until they are both fully recovered. No one is going to be killed, and no one is being taken away from you. I promise."

Tsuna slowly unclenched his hands. He lifted his head up to look back at Timoteo, and with the first bit of true courage he had felt since entering this room, he firmly declared, "Then I want to go with them to make sure Squalo is okay!"

There were mutters all around the room, but Tsuna didn't care; he instead focused on the way Timoteo gave the blond teen a questioning look before said blond nodded.

The stranger stood up, and with a kind smile on his face, he approached Tsuna and knelt before the brunet. "My name's Dino. What's yours?"

"…Tsu… Tsuna…yoshi…"

"Hi, Tsuna." As if he knew all about Japanese customs and wanted nothing more than to be respectful, the blond gave a polite bow. "You mustn't know what's going on. But it's okay; everything has been sorted out and everyone is going to be fine. I've known Squalo for years; we went to school together when we were younger, and he was very badly hurt so I've been looking after him."

Tsuna nodded slowly. He still didn't trust the other completely, but he could feel in his stomach that Dino was telling the truth. He flinched away from hands that reached out to pick him up, but he did accept the hand that reached out for his own.

"Come on, Tsuna. Let's go and see Squalo. Romario, can you get Belphegor?"

Tsuna could barely think as he was lead out of the office; after everything that had been happening, he felt as if his mind had just stopped.

Back in the office, one of Timoteo's subordinates broke the silence. "You don't think those Varia rejects intend on training him as one of their own, do you?"

Timoteo closed his eyes slowly and sighed. "If they do, he would certainly make one fearsome Guardian. I could see it in his eyes."


	9. Chapter 9

No matter how much time passed by, Squalo would forever remain loyal to his boss. Even with the eight years since the Cradle Affair, he hadn't stopped searching for ways to free Xanxus; it just so happened that, after all this time, his hard work had finally paid off and he could finally, _finally_ carry out his plan.

Ever since their attack on the Vongola, Varia's presence around the Vongola Mansion always caused alarm and suspicion. It was understandable, but Squalo knew he had to come up with a way to get around that, because if he were to be seen heading anywhere that _wasn't_ Xanxus' resting chambers or the Ninth's office…

Well, it would probably only cause a repeat of the massacre that had caused this situation in the first place.

Squalo did well at ignoring the loathing glares being sent his and Tsuna's way, but he ignored it all and instead muttered to Tsuna, "You know what to do, brat."

Tsuna nodded. He closed his eyes as he prepared himself for what would soon be happening; no matter how long he had held the title of Varia Cloud Guardian for, he would still never be able to hurt someone with as little care as the rest of the Varia.

Mammon sat on top of Squalo's head with an illusion hiding her from everyone else's knowledge. She knew she could have easily concealed _all_ of their presences, but even though only an expert could see through what she casts, she didn't want to take the chance of being seen through as it would only lead to further gunfire.

"Those rings are down near where Xanxus is." Squalo was quiet, knowing he couldn't be overheard. "As soon as you get them, make sure no one sees you with them. If you get caught, leave no survivors."

Tsuna nodded. It made much more sense for him to go off alone since he could get away with the excuse of being lost and separated from Squalo, but if the long-haired man were to dare try such a thing, he'd be killed on sight – at least by now everyone was used to him going down and checking on Xanxus, so they gave him _that_ much...

"As soon as we get down the stairs, take the left. There'll be guards. Take Mammon with you so they don't raise alarm."

The brunet reached out and grabbed the illusionist. He held her against his chest as he forced his emotions to harden; this was what he hated about being in the Varia, but Squalo had saved him from a life he _never_ wanted to think about again, and so Tsuna would forever remain fiercely loyal to the other.

"Squalo, do you really think this is going to work?"

"Yeah, it has to. Just don't fuck up." Squalo glanced over his shoulder now that they were descending the staircase to get to the bottom chambers. He knew they were still being watched, so he sighed. "Mammon…"

The Arcobaleno knew what was needed of her; she cast an illusion so Tsuna could slip away unnoticed, although to the onlooker it would appear the Cloud Guardian had never left Squalo's side. They parted ways in silence, Tsuna leaving to gather the Vongola Rings while Squalo went straight to continue to his boss.

Squalo hadn't waited long for Tsuna to return to him with a black box in hand. He accepted it, and a large grin crossed his face as the blood that clung to Tsuna's hands stuck to his own gloves. He opened the box, revealing the Vongola Rings he knew so much about, before he placed them by Xanxus' side. He turned to Tsuna as the usual blackness of the chamber lit up.

"You should get out of here for now, brat; Xanxus is going to be _pissed_."

Tsuna didn't need to be told twice; he turned around as the sounds of the ice heating up filled the air with every intention of waiting for the other two around the corner; no way was he going to subject himself to Xanxus' wrath so soon.

 _ **~~XX~~**_

It had been easier than anticipated to escape the Vongola Mansion with a severely weakened Xanxus in tow, and Tsuna knew it was all thanks to Mammon and her incredible illusions. Shortly after the Cradle Affair, the Varia had been relocated to their own living quarters to avoid another massacre, but that only made things easier in the long run; without the nosey Vongola subordinates around, the Varia were free to cover up everything that had happened that day without being noticed.

"Ushishishi~ Boss has returned~" Bel's obscured eyes watched happily as the now-scarred male slowly made his way to the head of the table in their meeting room. He dug one of his knives into the hardwood, unable to keep his grin off his face; with Xanxus back, things were going to get exciting again.

"Voi! Shut up, Bel! The boss wants to spea – Voi! The fuck was that for, asshole?!" Squalo rubbed his head where a bottle of wine had just smashed over it. He growled, but he knew to otherwise shut up; _he_ could push the boss' patience, but even _he_ knew where the line lay.

Xanxus' angry red eyes observed his subordinates, drinking in just how much time had changed them all. "Our mission hasn't changed, scum. Destroy the current Vongola and we will remake it in our image. But first, there's something we need."

"What's that, Boss?" Levi looked ready to jump at the chance to get whatever the man needed; his eagerness was all too clear in his voice.

"The Vongola Ninth." Xanxus narrowed his eyes at Squalo now. "Trashy shark, get the paperwork approved for the Mosca. And then get the Ninth. _Alive_."

"Ushishishi~"

Tsuna looked to his right as Bel's laughter sounded right next to his ear. He cocked his head to the side when the blond grabbed his arm and tugged on it.

"Boss is back, and so is the _fun~"_ The Varia Storm licked his lips. "Wanna be my partner for this one, Tuna-Fish~?"

The brunet offered a smile to his friend. "Maybe, Bel."

Bel continued cackling away to himself, and Tsuna allowed his smile to drop now that the older male's attention had drifted from him. Eight years had certainly changed him, and the only thing that had remained recognisable about him was the fact that he still smiled sincerely for his family. He didn't enjoy everything he had to do in the name of Varia, but it was a home for him when he had none, and how could he let Squalo down in declining the offer of a position when the man had given up so much for _him_?

Tsuna closed his eyes as he forced himself to remain calm. He wasn't going to like this mission. He held immense respect for the Ninth Vongola, but if it were his boss' commands, he would just have to block out every memory and emotion attached to his good relationship with the old man.

It wasn't impossible, however hard it could be to cut ties with someone important to him, after all.


End file.
